Musician Tom Morello and Former Guantanamo Detainee Moazzam Begg to Address Hundreds of Amnesty International Activists at D.C. Conference

Musician Tom Morello and Former Guantanamo Detainee Moazzam Begg to Address Hundreds of Amnesty International Activists at D.C. Conference

WASHINGTON, April 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) members, staff and activists from across the country will tackle some of the most pressing human rights issues facing the world today at the organization's 2008 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Washington, D.C. from April 25 through 28.

Members of the public are invited to attend the conference, "Ignite Hope. Advocate Change," which will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City hotel in Arlington, VA. The program features workshops and plenary panels on topics including accountability for private military contractors, abolishing the death penalty and the crisis in Darfur. Registration is $105 for the weekend or $35 for Saturday.

The AGM kicks off with a Friday afternoon discussion of the documentary At the Death House Door, which chronicles Rev. Caroll Pickett's emotional journey after witnessing the execution of Carlos de Luna, now widely believed to have been innocent. Rev. Pickett, filmmakers Steve James and Peter Gilbert and former Texas district attorney Sam Millsap (who prosecuted the case of Ruben Cantu, another man who was executed despite a strong case of innocence), will screen clips and discuss the troubling questions about the death penalty that this film addresses.

The conference's opening plenary, at 7:00 pm on April 25, will feature Larry Cox, executive director of AIUSA, Irene Khan, secretary general of Amnesty International and a guest appearance by Audioslave's Tom Morello.

International Criminal Court Deputy Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda will address a focus plenary on April 26 at 11:00 am. She will be followed by Betty Makoni, 2008 Ginetta Sagan award recipient, who for ten years has helped tens of thousands of Zimbabwean girls fight sexual exploitation, poverty and violence. AIUSA activists will also hear from former Guantanamo detainee Moazzam Begg (via satellite) and Center for Constitutional Rights Attorney Emi MacLean, who will address life in the Guantanamo Bay facility and the challenges related to closing it.

WHO: Hundreds of Amnesty International activists from across the United States; musician Tom Morello, former Guantanamo Detainee Moazzam Begg, Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan.

WHAT: Amnesty International USA's Annual General Meeting.

WHERE: Hyatt Regency Crystal City, 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA.

WHEN: Main events April 25 (2:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.) and April 26 (8:45 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.) For full schedule, please contact Wende Gozan at 212-633-4247 or 347-526-5520.

For more information, please visit www.amnestyusa.org/agm.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Amnesty International

CONTACT: Ben Somberg, +1-212-633-4268, or Wende Gozan, +1-212-633-4247,
both of Amnesty International

Web Site: http://www.amnestyusa.org/agm

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Profile: International Entertainment